John Froud died following a road incident on Sunday 25th September 2022 while competing in the Epsom CC open 25m TT on the Bentley course in Hampshire. He was struck from behind by a van. Despite the swift efforts of those on the scene and emergency services, he died shortly afterwards. He was 82.
On Saturday 1st October John was due to compete in the Kingston Phoenix RC Open 10m TT at Holmwood. As a tribute to John the race officials and all at the HQ stopped for one minute’s silence in remembrance at his designated start time of 14.03.
John joined the Festival Road Club in the mid to late 1950’s just a few years after the Club was formed and he has competed for the Club longer than any other rider. On the Track, John with other Club members, won bronze medals in the National Team Pursuit, on two occasions in the early 1960’s. They were also the All-London Team pursuit champions at that time. John also became a talent on the road and rose to national prominence. Some of his outstanding performances included:
1961. 1st Team – RTTC National 100-mile Championship, 1st Lingfield Road Race
1963. 1st SW London Divisional Road Race Championships
1964. Represented Great Britain at the Warsaw/Berlin/ Prague – Peace Race 1964 Peace Race account by Alan ‘Alf’ Buttler, with photos.
1st Addiscombe CC Croydon Premier Road Race
1965. 4th in Stage 4 Tour of Britain (Milk Race) and 21st overall on GC, representing the Southern Regional Team. 1965 Tour of Britain report
4th National Championship ITT
1st Victor Berlemont Memorial Elite Road Race
1966. 12th overall in the British Best All Rounder competition over 50 miles, 100 miles, 12hrs.
1968. 1st Croydon & District Hardriders TT
1970. 3rd Fred Cowley Memorial Road Race
2021 National Gold medalist for his age category in the CTT National Closed Circuit TT Championships at Thruxton Motor racing Circuit.
Cycling Time Trials records show his personal bests as
22.15 for 10 miles,
55.45 for 25 miles,
1.52.02 for 50 miles,
4.07.20 for 100 miles
260 miles for 12 hours.
From the early 1970’s John’s focus moved exclusively to time trials and John was frequently under the hour for 25 miles and under 24mins for 10 miles, winning numerous age / veteran standard awards.
Brian Wareham, Festival RC Club Secretary